With a unique way of Bull Fighting, the English Bulldog was known for jumping upwards from underneath the Bulls and lunging at their neck or stomachs when fighting thousands of years ago. This breed was created after selective breeding while using the bloodlines of the Asiatic Mastiff. After Bull Fighting was banned, this breed was used as protection and a watch dog. Today, this breed is loving, energetic, loyal and still very strong. The English Bulldog has had a much brighter and loving future than it has had in the past.
General Appearance
The perfect English Bulldog must be of medium size and smooth coat; with heavy, thick-set, low-swung body, massive short-faced head, wide shoulders and sturdy limbs. The general appearance and attitude should suggest great sturdiness, robustness, and stamina.
The disposition should be even-tempered, kind and playful, (not vicious or aggressive). Although their physical attributes should epitomize their strength and power at first glance, their demeanor should be that of a well behaved, childlike clown and should not be too stiff in nature or “snobish”. These contrasting characteristics should be conveyed easily in their general overall appearance.
Conformation Dog Show Ring Size, Proportion, and Symmetry
Size -- The size for mature dogs is about 55 pounds; for mature bitches about 45 pounds.
Proportion -- The circumference of the skull in front of the ears should measure at least the height of the dog at the shoulders.
Symmetry -- The "points" should be well distributed and bear good relation one to the other, no feature being in such prominence from either excess or lack of quality that the animal appears deformed or ill-proportioned.
Influence of Sex -- In comparison of specimens of different sex, due allowance should be made in favor of the females, which do not bear the characteristics of the breed to the same degree of perfection and grandeur
as do the males. Efforts to produce bitches as close in phenotype to the dog should be of great influence.
Dog Show Ring Head
Eyes and Eyelids -- The eyes, seen from the front, should be situated low down in the skull, as far from the ears as possible, and their corners should be in a straight line at right angles with the stop. They should be quite in front of the head, as wide apart as possible, provided their outer corners are within the outline of the cheeks when viewed from the front. They should be quite round in form, of moderate size, neither sunken nor bulging, and should not look to the side, but straight forward. The color of the eye should be appropriate to its coat color or pattern, and both
should be the same color. The lids should cover the white of the eyeball, when the dog is looking directly forward, and the lid should show no "haw."
Ears -- The ears should be set even with the top of the back of the head, the front inner edge of each ear joining the outline of the skull at the top back corner of skull, so as to place them as wide apart, and as high, and as far from the eyes as possible. In size they should be of average size. The shape termed "rose ear" is the most desirable. The rose ear folds inward at its back lower edge, the upper front edge curving over, outward and backward, showing part of the inside of the auricle. Less desirable earsets will be tolerated as long as the dog can rose their ears when stacked. (The ears should not be carried erect or prick-eared and should never be cropped.)
Skull -- The skull should be very large, and in circumference, in front of the ears, should measure at least the height of the dog at the shoulders. Viewed from the front, very broad and square. Viewed at the side, the head should appear as equally short and block headed as when viewed from the front. The side of the skull should appear very short from the point of the nose to occiput. revealing a slight angle from the tip of the bottom lip to the shelf of the skull. The forehead should be flat (not rounded or domed), nor overhanging the face giving an appearance of a blocky head.
Cheeks -- The cheeks should be well rounded, protruding sideways and outward beyond the eyes.
Stop -- The temples or frontal bones should be very well defined, broad, square and high, causing a hollow or groove between the eyes. This indentation, or stop, should be both broad and deep and extend up the middle of the forehead, dividing the head vertically, being traceable to the top of the skull.
Face and Muzzle -- The face, measured from the front of the cheekbone to the tip of the nose, should be extremely short, the muzzle being very short, broad, turned upward and very deep from the corner of the eye to the corner of the mouth.
Nose -- The nose should be large, broad with full pigment. The nose accompanied with the nose rope, should give the illusion of a flat face when a straight edge is placed against the head in the furrow. It should touch the tip of the lower lip and continue to the shelf of the skull, hiding a slightly tipped nose. Lack of a “tipped” nose is highly undesirable as the lack of structure lends to poor breathing. The distance from bottom of stop, between the eyes, to the tip of nose should be as short as possible and not exceed the length from the tip of nose to the edge of underlip. The nostrils should be wide, large, with a well-defined line between them.
Nose rope -- should be of average size and sit atop the nose, and should never over cover or overlap the nares.
Lips -- The chops or "flews" should be thick, broad, pendant and very deep, completely overhanging the lower jaw at each side. They join the underlip in front and almost or quite cover the teeth, which should be scarcely noticeable when the mouth is closed.
Bite -- Jaws -- The jaws should be massive, very broad, square and "undershot," the lower jaw projecting considerably in front of the upper jaw and turning up.
Teeth -- The teeth should be large and strong, with the canine teeth or tusks wide apart, and the six small teeth in front, between the canines, in an even, level row.
Neck -- The neck should be short, very thick, deep and strong and well arched at the back.
Topline -- There should be a slight fall in the back, close behind the shoulders (its lowest part), whence the spine should rise to the loins (the top of which should be higher than the top of the shoulders), thence curving again more suddenly to the tail, forming an arch (a very distinctive feature of the breed), termed "roach back" or, more correctly,
"wheel-back."
Body -- The brisket and body should be very capacious, with full sides, well-rounded ribs and very deep from the shoulders down to its lowest part, where it joins the chest. It should be well let down between the shoulders and forelegs, giving the dog a broad, low, short-legged appearance.
Chest -- The chest should be very broad, deep and full. Underline – The body should be well ribbed up behind with the belly tucked up and not rotund.
Back and Loin -- The back should be short and strong, very broad at the shoulders and comparatively narrow at the loins, creating the "pear-shape". Tail -- The tail may be either pie shaped "screwed", or “buttoned” (but never curved or curly), and in any case must be short and not to long, with decided downward carriage in the case of pie shape or screwed with a thick root and fine tip. If pie shaped, the tail should be broad at the base with a uniform taper, giving the illusion of a piece of pie. If "screwed," the bends or kinks should be well defined, and they may be abrupt and even
knotty, but no portion of the member should be elevated above the base or root. Buttons tails should sit on the body as if pinned on, never to be inverted.
Dog Show Ring Forequarters
Shoulders -- The shoulders should be muscular, very heavy, widespread and slanting outward, giving stability and great power.
Forelegs -- The forelegs should be short, very stout, straight and muscular, set wide apart, with well developed calves, presenting a bowed outline, but the bones of the legs should not be curved or bandy, nor the feet brought too close together.
Elbows -- The elbows should be low and stand well out and loose from the body.
Feet -- The feet should be moderate in size, compact and firmly set. Toes compact, well split up, with high knuckles and very short stubby nails. The front feet may be straight or slightly out-turned.
Dog Show Ring Hindquarters
Legs -- The hind legs should be strong and muscular and longer than the forelegs, so as to elevate the loins above the shoulders. Hocks should be slightly bent and well let down, so as to give length and strength from the loins to hock. The lower leg should be short, straight and strong, with the stifles turned slightly outward and away from the body. The hocks are thereby made to approach each other, and the hind feet to turn outward.
Feet -- The feet should be moderate in size, compact and firmly set. Toes compact, well split up, with high knuckles and short stubby nails. The hind feet should be pointed well outward.
Dog Show Ring Coat and Skin
Coat -- The coat should be straight, short, flat, close, of fine texture, smooth and glossy. (No fringe, feather or curl.)
Skin -- The skin should be soft and loose, especially at the head, neck and shoulders.
Wrinkles and Dewlap -- The head and face should be covered with heavy wrinkles, and at the throat, from jaw to chest, there should be two loose pendulous folds, forming the dewlap.
Dog Show Ring Color of Coat
The color of coat should be uniform, pure of its kind and brilliant. The various colors found in the English Bulldog breed, preferred in no specific order:
(1) brindle of all colors,
(2) solid white
(3) red or sable
(4) fawn or fallow of all colors
(5) piebald
(6) recessive black with tri or pied markings
(7) black and tan with no white
(8) grey with tri or pied markings
(9) grey and tan with no white
(10) liver with tri or pied markings
(11) liver and tan with no white
(12) Isabella (liver, dilute) with tri or pied markings
(13) Isabella and tan with no white
(14) Dominate black
(15) Dominate black dilute
(16) Dominate black liver
(17) Dominate black isabella (18) Merle (19) Platinum in all colors except
Merle.
Reverse Brindle is the effect of a very dark background with lighter colored fawn stripes or streaks showing through and is highly desirable. Brindle should have a fine, even and equal distribution of the composite colors. In brindles and solid colors a small white patch on the chest is not considered detrimental. Piebalds the color patches should be well defined, of pure color and symmetrically distributed with absolutely no ticking in the white area. Merle should be a pure white with black "torn" patches. Patches should appear torn, irregular and cover the entire body; a pure white neck, chest, and hocks is preferred and most desirable. Black, grey, liver and tan should have no white. If there is any percentage of white, the dog is to be considered a tri. Tuxedo: Solid with a white patch (shirt front) on the chest, and white on some or all of the feet (spats.) This pattern is sometimes called Irish Spotting, Flashy, or Boston and is
highly desirable in Dominate black, recessive black, grey, liver, and Isabella. Platinum is to be 100% white with only skin pigment showing their true genetic color. If a platinum dog has any other coat color other than
white, it is highly undesirable.
Dog Show Ring Gait
The style and carriage are peculiar, his gait being a loose-jointed, shuffling, sidewise motion, giving the characteristic "roll." The action must, however, be unrestrained, free and vigorous.
Dog Show Ring Temperament
The attitude should be even-tempered, kind and playful, (not vicious or aggressive). Although their physical attributes should epitomize their strength and power at first glance, their demeanor should be that of a well behaved, childlike clown and should not be too stiff in nature or “snobish”. These contrasting characteristics should be conveyed easily in their general overall appearance.
Show Scale of Points - General Properties: 22
5 Proportion & Symmetry
3 Attitude
3 Gait
3 Size
2 Coat
2 Expression
Head 39
6 Nose
5 Skull
5 Wrinkle
5 Jaw
4 Stop
3 Eyes & Eyelids
5 Ears
2 Cheeks
2 Chops
2 Teeth
Body, Legs, Etc. 39
5 Shoulders
5 Back
4 Forelegs & Elbows
2Tail
3 Neck
3 Chest
3 Ribs
3 Hind Legs
3 Feet
2 Dewlap
4 Brisket
2 Belly
Total Points 100
Disqualifications: Nose rope that covers any part of the nares
Docked tail
Undescended testicle(s)
Wall-eye(s )
Please note that this breed is wonderful, but not nearly as "lazy" as most people assume. This breed loves to jump, run and romp around every day. They LOVE their sleep and snoring, but not until they have a wonderful play time with their canine siblings or human family members. This breed is extremely docile, loving and affectionate with its owner and human family members. Don't let this fool you as they still will approach any and all strangers at your front door with confidence. This breed requires early socialization and obedience class to teach you and your new dog how to react in situations, as well as create a solid foundation for your new relationship. This breed requires a confident, consistent and firm owner who only uses positive reinforcement training methods. Early rules and boundaries need to be set within the home to prevent "small dog syndrome" behavioral issues from arising in the future. This breed can be stubborn at times and when he or she feels the owner isn't a confident enough figure. A daily pack walk along with other physical and mental activity is highly recommended for the mental and physical health of your English Bulldog. Be sure not to over heat or over work your pup as they carry a lot of body weight for their heart and joints to handle.
This breed does shed. Daily brushing and bathing when needed. Please pay special attention to clean the wrinkles in their face as they will develop an odor and skin issues if not cleaned regularly. Speak with your veterinarian for any other recommendations on regular grooming.
This breed is very temperature sensitive! Hot and cold temperatures can be deadly to this breed if left outside. Please note that this breed is not for everyone. This breed is prone to many health (skin, breathing, joint, ect.) issues that are maintainable, however proper vet care can be costly at times; due to this, we ask you to fully educate yourself of the English Bulldog to ensure you are able to meet their health, care and other requirements. Do not add an English Bulldog to your home unless you are able to provide life long physical and financial care to your new pet. We recommend a properly fenced in area for your English Bulldog to roam and play freely within. While outdoors otherwise, please use a properly fitting harness and leash. All dogs originate from wolves (Canis Lupus). Each breed of dog was originally created by mixing different breeds together in an effort to bring forth certain characteristics. Once a breeder has created acceptable “breed characteristics” within their bloodline and these “breed characteristics” have shown to be reliably reproduced in the offspring for three (3) generations, the bloodline may be upgraded from the category of “foundation stock” to “pure-bred”. The same “pure-bred” breed standards vary from different continents, countries, territories, regions, breed clubs, and canine pure-breed registries depending on the goals of their breeders. Dog DNA testing companies can have accurate results for a specific bloodline of a small colony of dogs. However, there are tens of thousands of different bloodlines in the world which have not yet been tested for marker baseline results by Dog DNA testing companies as of 2024. For this reason Dog DNA testing companies do not guarantee the 100% accuracy of their breed lineage results and will also show different marker results for the same pure-bred breed in different continents, countries, territories, regions, breed clubs, and canine pure-breed registries depending on the goals